


on the side of the dance floor

by auroraz



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Beta Read, Unrequited Love, Weddings, breakups? past breakups?, idk joshy just confused sad boi, it will be okay my love, sad Joshua I'm sorry, u will have your own magical night some day
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:09:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29753172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auroraz/pseuds/auroraz
Summary: Hansol can’t imagine how much it must hurt for Joshua, seeing the man he loved and devoted his life to, now celebrating marriage with someone new.It’s only been 18 months.(Hansol knows this, having held his friend’s crying frame in his arms not even a week ago.)orHansol accompanies Joshua to Joshua's ex boyfriend's wedding as his fake boyfriend. Things are messier than they may seem.
Relationships: Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Lee Seokmin | DK/Xu Ming Hao | The8, Past Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Lee Seokmin | Dokyeom
Kudos: 10





	on the side of the dance floor

“Are you okay, Hyung?”

Joshua looks up from his drink, smiling, but Hansol can see the truth behind his eyes. The elder shrugs before looking up to the newly wed couple, sharing their first dance in the middle of the ballroom. Hansol can’t imagine how much it must hurt for Joshua, seeing the man he loved and devoted his life to, now celebrating marriage with someone new. 

It’s only been 18 months.

(Hansol knows this, having held his friend’s crying frame in his arms not even a week ago.)

“Seokmin is happy… That’s all that matters, right?” Joshua finally says, not having taken his eyes away from the couple.

Hansol sighs, turning his chair to face the other, “Your happiness matters too, hyung.”

When Joshua finally faces him, there’s tears pillowed in the corner of his eyes. He reaches up to wipe them away, sadness still written on his face, even during this celebration of life. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t have dragged you here, Hansol-ah,” the question remaining unanswered, “I know I told you this would just be fun, we could drink and keep up this facade, then ‘break up’ in a few weeks, but now I’m just being a debbie-downer…” he says in English, not wanting anyone else around them to understand.

Hansol can’t help the chuckle that falls from his mouth, shaking his head at the floor, “There’s no way you’re only 27, hyung. If you keep saying things like ‘debbie-downer’, everyone is going to think you’re at least 40.”

He doesn’t say anything else, can’t bring himself to make a comment about the rest of what Joshua’s said. He knows their fake dating situation might have gotten a bit out of hand, but thinking about ending what they’ve had for the past few months, real or not, is something that Hansol hasn’t been able to grasp.

This was supposed to be the last stunt after all. He would accompany Joshua to Seokmin and Minghao’s wedding, help Joshua show Seokmin that he’s happy and was able to move on. Then they would break up, and go back to being friends like they always were.

Hansol isn’t sure if he can just “be friends” again with Joshua after everything they’ve been through.

~~~

He and Joshua were best friends in college, the older already had Seokmin in his life. They had been separated after Seokmin graduated, the couple moving to Seoul after Seokmin signed his first lead role in a musical. When it was Hansol’s turn to leave Incheon, having landed a job as a producer for a decent entertainment company, he didn’t expect to find Joshua drunk out of his mind at a club in Gangnam his second night in town. 

While Joshua had nearly thrown himself onto Hansol at the time, excited to see a familiar face, Hansol could tell how miserable the older really was. It was painful to say the least, hearing how lonely Joshua was after he and Seokmin broke up, the younger already having met Minghao, leaving Joshua unable to go back home to America and face his mother after everything that happened.

It wasn’t even a month after that they stumbled into bed together. They had agreed on not having feelings, only sex, but it was hard for Hansol from that moment. He should have known better, entering into a friends-with-benefits agreement with the man he harbored feelings for his entire first year of college, but it was Joshua. 

He didn’t have it in himself to stop what he was doing.

He didn’t even think twice when suggesting they pretended to date either, taking a simple misunderstanding from Joshua’s friends and running with it. It’s been months, fake feelings developing into something more for Hansol, fine print in their contract merely overlooked.

Hansol’s been hopelessly in love with the man, too much of a coward to admit it, and now he doesn’t know what to do.

~~~

“Let’s get out of here, hyung,” Hansol says, interlacing his fingers with Joshua’s before standing up. 

Joshua remains in his seat, eyes focused on his ex-boyfriend once again, “Where are we going to go?”

Hansol tugs the older onto his feet, easily manipulating him, “Let’s just go back up to the room, take a break. We can come back down for cake later if you want.”

Joshua finally turns to him, shoulders slumping, “I don’t want to be rude…”

Hansol’s hand is cupping the older’s chin, tilting his head up to meet his gaze, “You aren’t being rude, hyung. I’m sure no one will notice, and if Seokmin found out, he would understand.”

His eyes fly around the room, can see Jeonghan and Wonwoo looking at them, and Hansol presses a kiss to the other’s lips for good measure. Jeonghan probably knows the truth; Hansol really wouldn’t be surprised if Joshua told his best friend that they weren’t really dating, but the way Joshua instantly relaxes is telling of something more. Hansol doesn’t want to think much about it. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up.

Hansol leads them out of the ballroom, chest high as he strides past those who stare at them, Joshua sniffling close behind. As soon as the elevator doors close, bringing the pair up to their hotel room, Hansol pulls the sniffling boy close. Sobs break from Joshua’s chest, Hansol’s collar already damp with tears.

As they travel upstairs together, Hansol presses a kiss to the elder’s head and can’t help but wonder when he’ll know for sure that he can hold him tight like this forever.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!! sorry this is just a mess of a drabble (with a rushed ending) but I just thought of this idea and wanted to get it out in words before it was too late.
> 
> you can find me on twitter @softdomshua. I might write a nsfw chapter for this with some sad but lovey sex but idk for sure yet.


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